President Droupadi Murmu who is on a two-day visit to Sikkim has arrived in Gangtok on Friday. The President and the visiting entourage reached the Army Helipad in Libing by Indian Airforce Aircraft Mi-17.

She was accorded a warm reception by Governor – Ganga Prasad, Chief Minister – Prem Singh Tamang, Speaker of Sikkim Legislative Assembly (SLA) – Arun Upreti, senior cabinet minister – Kunga Nima Lepcha along with the Chief Secretary – V.B. Pathak, Director General of Police (DGP) – A. Sudhakar Rao, GOC, 17th Mtn. Div., Major General Gambhir Singh, AVSM and top state government officials.

A guard of honor was offered to the President by the 23 Rajput Battalion on her first visit to Sikkim after assuming office. The entourage of the President proceeded to Raj Bhawan, Gangtok.

On her two-day maiden visit to Sikkim, the President virtually inaugurated/laid the foundation stone for various projects related to education, health, road infrastructure and tourism at Manan Kendra in Gangtok.

Speaking on the occasion, the President remarked that “Sikkim, situated in the eastern Himalayan region, is one of the most beautiful states of India. It is blessed with snow-laden peaks, dense forests, rare flora and fauna, pretty lakes and sacred rivers – Teesta and Rangit. These make the natural beauty of Sikkim more attractive. Sikkim has a rich cultural heritage too which reflects the cultures of different communities.”

The President was happy to note that Sikkim, with a literacy rate of more than 80 percent, is one of the leading states in terms of education. It ranks first in the country in the enrolment for higher education. She was also happy to note that the enrolment of girls is higher than that of boys in Sikkim. She said that this shows the priority of the people of Sikkim towards education.

She reiterated that “Sikkim generates the least plastic waste among all the states in the country. It reflects the commitment of the people of Sikkim towards cleanliness and sustainable development.”

The President also appreciated the people of Sikkim for these achievements and said that this model of cleanliness could be followed by people in other states too.

Meanwhile, the President virtually inaugurated the Atal Setu Bridge of Rangpo from Manan Kendra, Gangtok today. The dimension of the viaduct has a width of 14.8 metres and length of 826 metres.

She also unveiled the two lane Chisopani Traffic Tunnel in Singtam, including approaching roads in the East District of Sikkim and then also laid the foundation stone of 300-Bedded District Hospital in Singtam under East District.